DIY All-For-Reef Recipe from Tropic Marin! Thanks Zack!

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randyBRS

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Did you know you could make your own Tropic Marin All-For-Reef....cheaper than the premixed solutions??

@Zack@BRS put together the list of ingredients and demonstrates how to mix your own All-For-Reef for a fraction of the cost and the BEST part is that it's scaleable! Make a little or make a LOT, you can choose how much you need for your own tank needs! :)


 

Bulk Reef Supply

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A 1 part complete dosing solution just seemed too good to be true, but I've been dosing the All-For-Reef product since January of this year on my 60 cube sps dominant mixed reef. I was really surprised how well this has worked out. The only real downside was the cost, but this really brings this into the realm of affordability for a higher demand system.

60cube.jpg


For anyone looking for the exact mixing recipe, here is a quick guide on how you can make 1000 ml of All-For-Reef at a fraction of the cost! If you buy the larger 1400g container of Carbocalcium, you can make over 10 liters of solution!

Step 1: Gather Materials
-CarboCalcium Powder https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/carbo-calcium-powder-calcium…
-Bio-Magnesium https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bio-magnesium-tropic-marin.h…
-Trace A- https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pro-coral-a-trace-1-tropic-m…
-Trace K+ https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pro-coral-k-trace-2-tropic-m…
-100 ml Measuring Cup
-Kitchen Scale
-Magnetic Stirrer (Recommended, but not required)
Step 2: Measure out 750 ml RODI water.
-Room temp water ok, but warm water will help dissolve the powder.
Step 3: Slowly add 140g CarboCalcium powder, stir.
Step 4: Add 12g Bio-Magnesium powder, stir.
Step 5: Add 100 ml Pro-Trace A-
Step 6: Add 100 ml Pro-Trace K+
Step 7: Stir. It can take some time for the solution to be clear. Estimate ~20 mins. Solution will be a tint of blue, this is normal.

-Zack@BRS
 
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Hermie

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This is cool; did the math though, it's not quite a fraction of the price... but it is a savings...
$19
$16
$12
$12
to make 2000ml of solution = $59 (with leftover mag and calcium)
whereas purchasing 2000ml or premade solution is $66

of course it's most cost efficient mixing it yourself, and also buying the largest quantities of each product, but if someone is only planning to mix 1000ml or 2000ml, it may not be worth the hassle to mix, and thus be better to buy the premade.
 

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This is cool; did the math though, it's not quite a fraction of the price... but it is a savings...
$19
$16
$12
$12
to make 2000ml of solution = $59 (with leftover mag and calcium)
whereas purchasing 2000ml or premade solution is $66

of course it's most cost efficient mixing it yourself, and also buying the largest quantities of each product, but if someone is only planning to mix 1000ml or 2000ml, it may not be worth the hassle to mix, and thus be better to buy the premade.
Or you could upgrade to the 500ml a and k and make 5 - 1000 ml batches for less than $80
 

Shooter6

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Hi i have a question i hope you can answer. Ive been using the redsea pro powder cal,alk,mag. I mix 20 level scoops of the large scoop to 1 gal of water for each.
I bought the carbocalcium powder, but dont know what to mix it at to equal each of the redsea cal/alk. Can you tell me how many scoops of carbocalcium to mix into 2gal of water to equal the same potency? Would the all for one be mixed at the levels stated above equal the same potency? I have a sps dominant mixed that has colonies. I dont want to risk swings in the cal/alk figuring out the dosing risking stn/rtn. I know ill have to make some adjustments of course but thats normal.
 

Bulk Reef Supply

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How much are you dosing daily ?
Good job Zack........look out Randy

@siggy I'm currently dosing 75mL per day on my 60 cube, split into a few smaller doses. This has been sustaining my reef pretty well for the last several months, and replaced my prior dosing of BRS 2 part with Red Sea Trace Colors. That was working very well too for the prior 3 years, but going from seven solutions down to one is really hard to give up.
 

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This is cool; did the math though, it's not quite a fraction of the price... but it is a savings...
$19
$16
$12
$12
to make 2000ml of solution = $59 (with leftover mag and calcium)
whereas purchasing 2000ml or premade solution is $66

of course it's most cost efficient mixing it yourself, and also buying the largest quantities of each product, but if someone is only planning to mix 1000ml or 2000ml, it may not be worth the hassle to mix, and thus be better to buy the premade.

@NotASpammerDude If you were only to buy the small container of A & K, it's true that you would not be able to fully realize the savings of making your own, but keep in mind that the main component is carbocalcium, and the smaller container will make 5 liters of solution. The larger container will make 10 liters of solution. If you buy the 1400g container of Carbocalcium, the small container of Bio-Mag, and the 1000mL bottles of A&K, you can make 10 liters for a total cost of $120, which works out to $12/liter, and you'd still have Bio-Mag left over. The Bio-Mag will be enough for 37 liters of solution, so that will not be a cost next time you buy ingredients, and if you take the actual cost of materials for each liter into account, it's actually more like $10/liter.
 

Keenan

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I was always under the impression the Trace A- and Trace K+ are two separate products to prevent the cation and anion elements from binding to one another in solution? What is preventing this from happening in this solution? I’m guessing there is some solution as All-for-reef accomplishes the same thing.
 

Bulk Reef Supply

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Hi i have a question i hope you can answer. Ive been using the redsea pro powder cal,alk,mag. I mix 20 level scoops of the large scoop to 1 gal of water for each.
I bought the carbocalcium powder, but dont know what to mix it at to equal each of the redsea cal/alk. Can you tell me how many scoops of carbocalcium to mix into 2gal of water to equal the same potency? Would the all for one be mixed at the levels stated above equal the same potency? I have a sps dominant mixed that has colonies. I dont want to risk swings in the cal/alk figuring out the dosing risking stn/rtn. I know ill have to make some adjustments of course but thats normal.

I'm afraid I don't know the exact concentration/potentency of the Red Sea solution, but TM states that their solution has a concentration of 6,000dKH per liter and 43,000ppm calcium when mixed according to the directions. The 700g contains 215g of calcium and 30,000 dKH, so if you have the concentration from Red Sea, it should be possible to identify a ratio.
 

tautog83

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from what i was reading in larger tanks lets say over 150 gallons , it may be better just to dose the carbocalcium but then dose the traces separatley .. in that case its basically the same as any other 2 part.I think the idea is good but i feel like the all in reef is definatley meant for tanks under 50 gallons .i might still try the carbocalcium and see how it works . right now i dont have much consumption and alk goes down faster than calcium so would like to see if i could keep it in balance
 

Shooter6

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I dont have those numbers, but these are the ones i use, mixed at 20- level large scoops to 1gal water each. Using your 1 gal white top clear square dosing containers.
 

Shooter6

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Is there a version of trace elements a & k in powder form? For those of us who have large systems,
 

Shooter6

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I tried the mix last night, only doubled.
1500ml rodi
12 level scoops from the 3 bls carbo calcium
2 level scoops from the bio mag
200ml each of a & k.
My issue is even after heating the water the carbo calcium didnt desolve completely after 24 hrs with a pump mixing it.
The 3bls carbo calcium container states that 6 level scoops equal 140grams.
 

Hermie

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Maybe try dissolving each thing individually then mixing it together?
I tried the mix last night, only doubled.
1500ml rodi
12 level scoops from the 3 bls carbo calcium
2 level scoops from the bio mag
200ml each of a & k.
My issue is even after heating the water the carbo calcium didnt desolve completely after 24 hrs with a pump mixing it.
The 3bls carbo calcium container states that 6 level scoops equal 140grams.
 

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